


Under the stars

by saana_13



Category: Arashi (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Falling In Love, Fluff, Humor, M/M, Romance, Stargazing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-10-27
Updated: 2012-10-27
Packaged: 2020-12-21 07:08:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,667
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21070895
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/saana_13/pseuds/saana_13
Summary: Aiba's not fond of the idea of moving but then his feelings change under the stars...





	Under the stars

  
  
It was the beginning of summer when Aiba’s family had to move to Tokyo due to his father’s promotion. Everyone was happy about moving to the capital as well as the promotion which meant more income to the family; everyone except Aiba. He was as well proud of his father and all but moving and transferring school in the middle of high school’s second year meant immediate death to him. He just managed to build his safe-zone in the old school when the news hit in. Now he had to start everything again. With his lung-surgery in the previous semester, he had to quit any sports; also with his grades he barely passed the classes so he wasn’t welcomed in any other club either. Being the stupid new kid who can’t participate in sports either, Aiba knew it was only the matter of time till the school bullies find him as their perfect new target...

With these possibilities laid ahead, he went to school with heavy heart on his first day.  
“Hajimemashite! Aiba Masaki desu. Yoroshiku onegaishimsu…” he mumbled shortly then escaped to the only opened seat in the class-room which - to his luck - was in the last row, right next to the window.  
_‘Just stay invisible, Masaki, stay invisible!...’_ Aiba kept chanting in his head and did according to it, trying to rise as less attention as that was possible with being the new kid in school...  
He managed to survive the first day with just a few, basic questions from his new classmates...  
“So which club will you join?” Ninomiya, his classmate asked a few days later.  
Aiba winced silently when the question he feared the most came out.  
“I wonder which one I should join…” he tried joking away.  
“Oh, come on! No need to be so mysterious...!” the other student whined brattily.  
“Okay, okay, actually I didn't decide. Yet. You'll be the first I tell when I chose!” Aiba said before he escaped, saying he had to talk with their homeroom teacher...

That afternoon Aiba walked around the school trying to find a club - _any club!_ \- that would save him for later torments. He was just about to go home and give up the searching when he found what he was searching for.  
“Ah!” he cried out hope shining in his eyes and rushed to the room a few meters away and tearing the door open.  
“Sumimasen!” he said loudly hoping to find someone there.  
Loud noise came as an answer from somewhere in the cluttered room. The next minute a surprised face appeared from behind the desk full with huge stock of books.  
“What can I do for you?” the other boy asked staring at Aiba confused.  
“Let me join the club, please!” Aiba said bowing deeply.  
“Eh?” the other student widened his eyes surprised by Aiba’s request.  
“Onegaishimasu! I’ll do anything. I won’t bother you at all! You won’t even notice that I’m here, I swear! Pretty please!” Aiba held his pressed together hands in front of his face desperately.  
“Ano... You can join if you want… But… it’s the _star-gazing club_…” the other boy said meaningful. “You know, students usually not interested in joining here… You too, rather seem to be the sporty type…” he added explaining when he saw Aiba’s confused expression.  
“I did basketball in my previous school but I can’t do that anymore. My lung collapsed last semester so I had to quit sports” Aiba said. “Therefore, let me join here, please!”  
“I told you already that you can if you want” for the first time the other boy smiled at Aiba. “My name is Sakurai Sho. I’m the leader and so far I was the only member of the club too. Yoroshiku!” he said with a smile. “You’re new here, right? What’s your name?”  
“Aiba Masaki desu! Yoroshiku, buchou!” Aiba introduced himself with a bright smile.  
Now he found the perfect hiding place where he highly doubted any bully would look for him. Also he had a club so noone could bug him about that either…

For the first week for Aiba as the member of the star-gazing club, he did nothing but went to the club room after classes and just sat in the corner where he could find an empty, quite usable desk - which was quite an achievement in itself since their club-room looked like a cluttered storage. Aiba couldn't even differ what belonged to the club and what was just dropped there for safekeeping.  
Then as the exams before summer break came nearer he decided to use his time there for studying since Sakurai-senpai was always busy with some star-related stuff that Aiba didn’t get at all and he didn’t want to bother the older boy either - since he knew as much as nothing about stars.  
“Mou! Wakanai!” Aiba whined loudly one day, temporary forgetting he wasn't at home or alone.  
“What’s wrong, Aiba-chan?” Sho asked looking up from behind his computer and stuck of books on his desk.  
“Iya, it’s nothing” Aiba said quickly shaking his head. “Sumimasen, Sakurai-senpai!” he added blushing softly and lowered his head back into his textbook.  
Sho chuckled softly. Aiba really did try to act as if he wasn’t even there, just as he promised on the day of his joining. Not that Sho minded his presence at all. After entering high school he requested to be let form the star-gazing club. People used to say he was a star-otaku just because they thought he wasted too much time on the stars and wasn’t socially active. But he didn’t care about those people. He was interested in astronomy and planned on entering university in astronomy major too. Nothing else matter to him so far. He was alone in the club as well ever since he could form it so he was more than happy that Aiba joined. even if the younger boy didn’t show any interest in stars at all so far; still his presence there was enough for Sho now…  
Stepping out his own personal hide-out in the room, Sho walked next to Aiba.  
“What’s wrong, Aiba-chan?” he asked again. “Can’t get your homework done?” he asked looking at the textbook in front of the younger boy.  
Aiba just nodded completely ashamed.  
“Want me to explain it to you?”  
“No! It’s okay. You must be busy, Sakurai-senpai. I don’t want to bother you. I’ll keep quiet from now, I promise!” Aiba said looking up at Sho with big, innocent eyes.  
“Come on, it’s no big deal. You’re my kouhai in school and in the club too. I’m responsible for you…” Sho said smiling gently at the younger boy. “And I’m not busy at the moment so tell me what you don’t understand…” he said propping his elbows on the desk watching Aiba intently.  
“Well… I just don’t get it at all…” Aiba admitted blushing furiously till the tip of his ears.  
“Okay, then let’s start it from the top…”

The next day Aiba cautiously entered the club room in lunch break, hoping to find Sho there since he didn’t find the older man in his classroom earlier.  
“Anooo… Senpai?”  
“What is it, Aiba-chan?” Sho’s voice came from his usual place so Aiba walked there.  
“Here…” the younger boy handed a bento box to Sho with soft pink blush coloring his cheeks. “I wanted to thank you for your help yesterday…”  
Sho took the box with a smile.  
“There was no need for this, you know that? I gladly helped you…” Sho said as he opened the bento curiously. “This looks really great! You did this by any chance?”  
“Un”  
“Itadakimasu!” Sho said digging in the food happily. “Oh, umai!” he exclaimed delighted.  
“Really? Yokatta…” Aiba sighed and for a weird reason that he could explain properly, he felt really proud and happy from Sho’s praise while his heartbeat picked up 100times by a blink of an eye… He watched Sho happily eating his lunch and he was so absorbed in the older boy that he forgot the other reason why he wanted to talk with Sho.  
“Ah! Ano…” he started crying out.  
“What is it, Aiba-chan?” Sho looked up curiously.  
“Ano… Can you… help me studying today too? Your explanations are _sooo _much easier to understand than what the teachers’ babbling at the classes…” Aiba said. “Please?” he asked looking at the older boy with his best puppy eyes.  
Sho chuckled slightly.  
“So the food is not for _thanking _but for _bribing _me…” he said teasing.  
“No! It’s not like that!” Aiba protested. “I’m really, _really _grateful for what you did already! But I really, _really _need your help! I won’t pass the exams other way!” Aiba said pleading.  
Sho laughed freely by now. Aiba was incredibly cute but it seemed he didn't even know about that.  
“It’s okay, Aiba-chan, I’ll help you” Sho said smiling at him. “You know, I’d help you even if you’d not try to bribe me. The food was really tasty though. Thank you!” he added with a smile that made Aiba blush deeply…

In the end Aiba managed to pass the exams on every class thanks to Sho’s effective help and of course he got his best ever results. With this Aiba couldn’t even be happier when the summer break finally started.  
Yet after only two days he started to get bored sitting at home all day but he had no idea what else he could do. He had no friends at school except Sho but Aiba wasn’t sure if his senpai would want to hang out with his stupid, bother-some kouhai in his summer break too…  
Yet the next day he still walked to the school remembering that Sho mentioned something about some kind of research or what that he wanted to do during the holiday. He also packed a bento for Sho. He learned that quickly that the older boy was always eating conbini food so he thought he would enjoy something different every once in a while - and no, he didn't mean bribing the older boy with food again so he'll spend time with him in break time!...  
“Senpai?” Aiba called for Sho as he entered their club room but no response came.  
He walked to Sho’s desk but as expected the older boy wasn’t there.  
“Ah, kireii…” Aiba breathed out as the screen saving picture on Sho’s pc changed.  
“It’s beautiful, isn’t it?” Sho asked behind his back, leaning over his shoulder.  
“Ah! Mou, Sakurai-senpai! You scared me!” Aiba said whining as he turned to the older student and again he caught himself blushing in Sho’s close company.  
“It’s the Halley’s comet. It only crosses the earth orbit once in every 76 years… I wish I’d see that one day…” Sho explained mentioning toward the pc which again changed the picture.  
“Sugoi, you know a lot, senpai!” Aiba said in awe.  
Sho chuckled at Aiba’s cutely honest reaction.  
“Anyway what are you doing here, Aiba-chan?” the star-gazer asked while he opened the canned coffee he just got from the vending machine.  
“Oh, I just… thought about… checking what you are during the break...? You talked about some experiments… and… I brought you lunch...?” Aiba said showing the bento box to Sho.  
“Are you that bored at home, Aiba-chan?” Sho asked laughing.  
“_That bored_?” Aiba asked back confused.  
“So bored that you came to school during vacation too… And you’re trying the bribing-thing again…” Sho said teasing.  
“I’m… I’m not bribing you again!” Aiba protested with deep red cheeks. “That wasn’t bribing the first time either! It was… an exchange?...” he offered with hopeful eyes. “And anyway… you’re at school during vacation too, senpai…” he added mumbled.  
“In that case I just take it that you missed me that much…” Sho teased some more just because he enjoyed seeing embarrassed-blushing Aiba.  
The younger club member couldn’t reply at the teasing so he studied his shoes intensely while Sho chuckled next to him silently.  
“Ne, senpai! Can you teach me some more about those pretty stars?” he asked looking up after a while.  
Sho looked at him surprised at his request. So far Aiba showed no sign of being interested in astronomy. It was rather obvious that he needed a hiding place as the new boy in school and he seemed so adorably lost when he requested for joining that Sho just couldn’t leave him alone. He didn’t regret his decision and if they’d happen to share the same interest…  
_‘That would be an unexpected bonus…’_ Sho thought happily.  
“Get a chair and sit next to me!” he said with a smile as he sat down to his seat as well...

“Where are you going again, Masaki?” his father asked one morning while Aiba packed two bentos in the kitchen.  
“Club activties… I have a lot to catch up so Sakurai-senpai agreed to tutor me…” Aiba explained.  
“What club are you in again?” his father asked finishing off his coffee.  
“Star-gazing club…” Aiba said while he closed the bento boxes.  
“Alright then. I’m glad you finally taking seriously your studies and you chose a more serious club this time instead just chasing some balls for hours” his dad said approving before left for work.  
“And here I started to think you finally got yourself a girlfriend… You’re boring, nii-san…” his younger brother teased him.  
“It’s none of your business, Yusuke! Neither my club, nor if I have or not have a… _girlfriend_…” Aiba retorted sharply but he blushed a little at the word ‘girlfriend’. If he wanted to be honest to himself, it wasn’t a _girlfriend _he was wishing for…  
“Ma-ma, boys, don't fight!” their mother said on a calming tone. “Ne, Masaki, why don’t you bring over your senpai for dinner so we can know him too…” she proposed.  
“I… I’ll ask him…” Aiba said but he wasn’t sure if it’d be a good idea. “Jya, I’m off now!”  
“Take care, Masaki!”  
“Itterasshai, nii-san!”

“Nee, senpai…” Aiba spoke up.  
They were on the school yard sitting under a tree, eating their lunch that the younger boy prepared for them.  
“Hmm? What is it?” Sho asked looking at Aiba who seemed more anxious than he usually did. “Something wrong?”  
Aiba’s bento was still untouched and he was picking on the grass.  
“Uh… No, nothing’s wrong!” Aiba shook his head quickly.  
“Then? I don’t think you have study-problems since it’s vacation now and you don’t seem to be the pre-studying type…” Sho said with slight teasing in his tone. “So?”  
“Well… since you helped me study a lot and… now you’re teaching me about the stars as well… Uh… my mom invited you for dinner so they can know you…” Aiba said with a faint pink color on his cheeks.  
“Okay” Sho said simply  
“Eeh? Really?” Aiba looked at him with wide eyes. “But… but they're my _parents_...!? Aren't you afraid?”  
“Why would I? I’m not going there to ask for your hand in marriage, Aiba-chan” Sho said laughing. “Unless you want me too…” he whispered leaning closer to the younger boy's face.  
“What?” Aiba squeaked on an unusually high-pitched voice; his eyes widening more at this. “Mou! Don’t be mean, Sakurai-senpai!” Aiba whined cutely.  
“You’re adorable, Aiba-chan” Sho said silently but still loud enough for Aiba to hear it clearly.  
“You really are mean, senpai…” Aiba repeated and turned his back to the older star-gazer. By now he was sure his face is as red as a tomato and he didn’t want Sho to see it. Also he needed to not see the older man to slow down his furious heart beat...  
“So, when should I go? Is tonight okay?” Sho asked casually as he turned back to his lunch.  
“That’s okay. I’ll call my mom to tell her you’re coming tonight…” Aiba mumbled to his food.  
He heard Sho’s chuckling behind his back and the blush on his face just darkened again…

Aiba was sure he had never felt that embarrassed as he did during the dinner when Sho came to visit his parents. He was just more than delighted when it was finally over.  
“I’ll walk you to the station…” he said quickly, already taking his flip-flops on when Sho was about to leave.  
“You don’t really have to, you know? I’m completely capable to protect myself which I’m not sure I can tell about you as well…” he said with a grin.  
Aiba did his best to ignore the teasing.  
“Anyway, I’m really sorry!” he said seriously.  
“About what?” Sho asked surprised.  
“About tonight… My parents were practically interrogating you and Yusuke... Well, Yusuke's just a brat so you should just ignore him but... I’m just sorry. You must have felt uncomfortable with it…” the younger boy said fidgeting antsy.  
As always Sho just laughed at him.  
“No need for that. I had fun so no worries. And I could learn a lot about you. Like when you were six and…”  
“Stop it! Mou stop it, senpai…” Aiba whined, it was more than embarrassing, _humiliating _enough to hear his mother tell that story to Sho. He really didn’t need Sho to tell that back to him. Sho just laughed again and stopped to watch the younger boy’s pretty features but Aiba refused to look at him so in the end he turned his head toward the starry sky.  
“Look, you can see the Big Dipper from here!” he said pointing up.  
“You can?” Aiba asked immediately curious and stepped next to Sho closely. “Where?” he asked, looking absolutely clueless.  
“There! It looks like a dipper like its name says…” Sho said pointing to the right direction. “You’re in the star-gazer club but you can’t even recognize the Big Dipper?!” Sho said mock-angry.  
“Gomen…” Aiba said looking ashamed.  
Sho shook his head.  
“It seems studying from books don’t work for you. Ask your parents if they let you to stay over at our place at the weekend. You seem to need some on-field experience…” he said seriously.  
“Ah! Hai, buchou!” Aiba nodded quickly.  
Sho chuckled at him again.  
“Come on, Aiba-chan I walk you back home. I don’t want you to get into trouble wondering on the streets alone at late night…” Sho said and taking Aiba’s hand he headed back to the younger’s house…

Aiba was anxious for the rest of the week. He couldn’t say what exactly was that bothered him. No, this feeling, these flip-flops in his stomach was rather the sign of excitement… Anyway, all he knew that he could barely sleep or eat ever since Sho invited him for the weekend.  
Of course they parents had no objection him spending the weekend with Sho. They officially loved him and thought he can be only a good example and help to their son so why would they object?  
“Thank you for having me…” Aiba mumbled shyly as he stepped into Sho’s family’s house - well, rather _mansion_.  
“I started to worry you lost on the way here” Sho welcomed him with a wide smile on Friday afternoon when Aiba arrived.  
“Come in, son!” Sho’s mother ushered him in. “Sho! Lead Aiba-kun to your room. I send you tea later” with this the woman left them alone.  
“This way, Aiba-chan!” Sho said with a wide smile and grabbing Aiba’s hand he dragged the boy to his room upstairs…

They chatted about random stuff till they were called down for dinner. Aiba’s anxiety – that loosened slightly during his chatting with Sho – when he had to face Sho’s parents came back twice as hard but in the end he managed to survive somehow the dinner with the Sakurai family without any major mistake. Sho was chuckling next to him silently all the time which couldn’t help him either…  
“Lend me a hand, Aiba-chan!” Sho asked him when they were back to the older boy’s room.  
Sho was half disappeared in his closet then when Aiba stepped next to him, he handed him a tripod and some blankets while he took the telescope.  
“Sugoi!” Aiba said in awe.  
“Well thank you, Aiba-chan. It’s just a small one tough. I’m still saving up for a bigger, more professional one…”  
“But this is huge already!” Aiba still blinked fascinated at the telescope. It was the first time in his life he saw a telescope let alone being this close to one. Somewhere in the back of his mind Aiba found himself pathetic for reacting this way to a mere telescope and he was sure that once again he made a total fool out of himself.  
_‘Sho must think I’m really stupid…’_ he thought and it made his heart ache and he felt tears are about to brim his eyes.  
“So what will we do now?” he asked to force back his depressive thoughts.  
“Now I’ll show you the a few stars and constellations… There’s no way that a member of the star-gazer club wouldn’t know the Big Dipper!” Sho said mock-scandalized, reminding Aiba his previous failure that led to this exact situation.  
The memory just made Aiba more embarrassed and he blushed deeply, just like the way Sho was sure he will…

“Come on, Aiba-chan!”  
They went out to the porch where Sho set up the telescope. Aiba watched his every movement and wondered if there was anything Sho wasn’t good at. Cause so far he seemed to be perfect in Aiba’s eyes which overawed him and made him respect and love the older boy deeply.  
_‘Did I just really think I love him?’ _Aiba mused in head, blushing madly at the thought.  
“Aiba-chan! Are you even listening to me? I’m trying to help you here!” Sho looked at him scolding.  
“Ah! Gomen, senpai!” Aiba said quickly.  
“What were you thinking about so hard? It even made you blush…” Sho asked curiously leaning closer to the younger boy, studying his crimson colored face.  
“I… ehm… no-nothing… really…” Aiba stuttered, his breath hitching from Sho’s closeness. “What were you saying?” he asked trying to smile at Sho but his lips trembled slightly.  
“If you say so…” the older boy obviously not believed but all Aiba cared that Sho dropped the topic. “Now come here and tell me, what you see?” he ordered him, motioning to the telescope.  
“Hai!” Aiba nodded bending down to look in the telescope – giving a fine view to Sho as well. “Oh, oh, oh! I know it, I really do!” Aiba exclaimed delighted. “This is the Big Dipper, isn't it? Oh, it really looks like a dipper… A really crooked one though…” he added mumbling.  
Sho chuckled behind his back which made the younger boy to right himself quickly.  
“Did I say something wrong?” he asked with worried-puppy eyes.  
Sho shook his head stepping to the telescope to turn it to a different direction.  
“Okay, let’s see one more…” Sho said. “But it won’t be as easy as the Big Dipper was!” he added warning.  
The younger boy waited patiently but anxiously for Sho. He really didn’t want to disappoint him…  
“Okay, tell me its name…”  
Sho stepped away to let Aiba look in the telescope. This time the boy needed more time to recognize the stars. Sho could see even in the dim starlight that the younger boy was nibbling his bottom lip nervously.  
“Ah! I remember now! It’s the Aquila! Its brightest star’s called… Altair, right? It’s the part of… the summer triangle, right?” Aiba asked looking at Sho with hopeful eyes that it was good what he said.  
“I see someone did his homework…” the older boy said cooing. “It was very good, Aiba-chan!”  
“Arigatou, Sakurai-senpai!” Aiba said blushing happily at Sho’s praise.  
“You can call me by my name, you know. I thought we’re friends. You should stop addressing me as ‘Sakurai-senpai’… That’s so official…” Sho said frowning.  
“Hai… _S-sho-kun_...?” Aiba said shyly, blushing some more.  
Hearing Aiba say his given name for the first time while he was blushed so adorably; Sho couldn’t – and didn’t want to – hold back anymore. He leant closer to Aiba, brushing his lips softly to the younger boy’s. He barely touched Aiba’s lips and the boy gasped shakily pulling away almost frightened.  
“W... what are you doing?...”  
“I was trying to kiss you” Sho said simply, a little annoyed and tried not to feel hurt by Aiba's reaction.  
“But… Why?” Aiba blinked at him innocently.  
Sho sighed deeply at this question.  
“I’d never thought you’ll be so dense…”  
“Gomen…” Aiba mumbled lowering his head ashamed, his hair falling to his face, covering his eyes. Suddenly he felt like crying. In the end Sho did think he’s stupid, no matter what he did…  
“I did it cause I like you, Masaki!” Sho said firmly.  
“Why would you? I’m…” Aiba whispered to his feet.  
“Why would I _not_?” Sho cut in. “You’re cute and adorable…” He reached out his hand to brush away Aiba’s locks from his face then his hand cupped his cheek turning Aiba’s head to look in his eyes. “...as much as you’re beautiful…”  
Aiba stared at him speechless with wide innocent eyes but Sho felt his face heat up in blush under his palm.  
“Will you let me kiss you now?” he asked.  
Still not finding his voice, Aiba just nodded shyly.  
Sho leant close again and just like the first time he brushed his lips to Aiba’s and when the other boy didn’t pull away freaked out, he pressed their lips together in a more firm, passionate manner. His hand slipped to Aiba’s hair, tilting his head a little while opening his mouth, his tongue swiped along Aiba’s bottom lip, earning a surprised, squeaking sound from the younger who immediately jumped away from Sho’s reach, covering his mouth with his hand.  
Sho was surprised at first but then chuckled amused when he saw Aiba’s face; surprise, shyness and curiosity was painted all over the boy’s beautiful blushed features. Sho grabbed his shoulder and pulled him into his arms, hugging him tightly.  
“I really like you a lot, Masaki… Will you go out with me?” he whispered in his ear.  
He hugged the boy tighter happily when he felt him nodding against his neck…

Sho slipped his hand up on Aiba’s neck cupping his face once more to pull him into another feverish kiss. He wanted to kiss Aiba for a while, and now he could actually do it, he couldn't get enough of him. The younger boy let out soft mewling sounds as Sho’s mouth covered his and this time he didn’t jump away when Sho pried his lips open, deepening the kiss but he tried to return it sloppily.  
Sho broke this kiss but kept holding Aiba so close that barely inches separated their lips.  
“You never did this before, did you?” he asked amused though the answer was obvious.  
Aiba said nothing - he was way too embarrassed to admit it loudly - just turned crimson red.  
“You’re really cute…”  
Sho just leant in to kiss Aiba some more when they heard the door to the porch opening. Aiba immediately jumped away from Sho’s embrace.  
“Boys, it’s really late already. Summer vacation or not, go to bed now!” Sho’s father ordered them.  
“Hai!” they said in union.  
Aiba was more than grateful for the darkness covering his blushed face and swollen, wet lips.  
“Sho! Your mother set the extra futon in your room for Aiba-kun already” the man added before left them alone, leaving the door opened on purpose signaling them to get in immediately.  
Sho sighed deeply.  
“I guess that’s for the star-gazing tonight. We should go…”  
He took Aiba’s hand leading him up to his room.  
In the end despite the spare futon that was set out for Aiba, the boy ended up sleeping with Sho, in his bed, in his arms. The older boy wrapped his arms tightly around his slim waist and kissed him to sleep.  
_‘Maybe this whole moving-thing’s not that bad…’_ was Aiba’s last thought before he was succumbed to dreamland with a smile on his lips…  



End file.
